Black and white covers of the various Phantacea comics and graphic novels published in 2013

Plus, it is apple-approaching Zmas Day hereabouts, or would be if the Weirdom of Cabalarkon is still around; if indeed the Hidden Continent of Sedon’s Head still is … In which case the title could read “Tethys Talks Turkey all sorts of centuries ago”.

No matter, he’d obviously been around long enough prior to said encounter to have painted her:

“I can see I opened a can of worms. And I don’t mean the ones sticking out from under your cap. What do you think she’s up to?”

“Morgan Abyss? Funnily enough I saw a picture of her the last time I was on the Outer Earth. I’ve heard it called ‘An Allegory of Spring’ but I spoke to the artist, an Italian fellow by the name of Cosimo Tura, and he said it was of Calliope, the Muse of Epic Poetry. He’d been commissioned to do a bunch of paintings of the Nine Muses and said Calliope’s quill was standard for images of her.”

Toothy fish to Calliope’s right on throne

“As well as images of you.”

“Too true. Anyhow, what wasn’t standard was Master Morgan’s throne, all those toothy dolphins, or whatever they are. Morg had a throne just like that; one she’d had handmade by her own fish-folks, Melusine craftsmen the lot.” She gave him one of those looks of hers – a very unsettling look given how many eyes she could manifest. “Or craftswomen of course.” This seemed to satisfy her so he felt free to carry on.

Toothy fish to Calliope’s left on throne

“Even weirder, it looks to me like he copied his Calliope from one of my own paintings, one that still hangs in Cabalarkon. Don’t ask me how he learned of it. He claimed it came to him in a dream, which might be the weirdest thing yet. And you don’t have to take my word for it either. Unless he bit the big one in the last few months, he’s still alive. Maybe you could get more out of him. I’m no devil.”

“So you keep insisting. But what’re the chances of any of us even bothering? We don’t visit Italy when we’re out there; isn’t in our bailiwick. Besides, that isn’t what I asked.”

“No, you asked me to what I think Morg’s up to in that painting. Except it isn’t a matter of thinking, is it? It’s a matter of historical record …

Cosimo Tura’s St Jerome as shot in London’s National Gallery in August 2017

Tura’s Virgin with Child; apparently the angels are playing a celestial organ, not a tower of power

But what’s with Tura’s toothy throne fish? Decided to have a closer look when visiting London’s National Gallery in August 2017. Now that the Nat allows pictures I decided move on up to the front of the queue and zoom right in on some of them.

One of Tura’s throne-fish; behind it is a cave with someone (Jordan Tethys?) scribbling on a slate

What did I spot behind bottom most throne fish by Calliope’s left foot but a cave or entrance way of some sort (to the Hidden Headworld?) and a man scribbling on a tablet or pad of paper.

The placard says it’s a blacksmith in a cave but surely to PHANTACEA it’s got to be Jordan Tethys scribbling away on his getaway slate.

Close up of Tura’s angels playing a celestial organ

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While we’re here. Rather, while I was there, I took a few more Turas. Might as well leave them here until I figure out what else to do with them.

2017’s occupant on the changeling plinth in front of London’s National Gallery

Finally, for now, am forced to say ‘thumb up’ for London’s National Gallery for allowing pictures inside and having a solitary thumb up statue on a massive plinth outside it in Trafalgar Square.

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A threesome of not so toothy fish (dolphins?) on a light stand near the Thames embankment a few blocks away from Trafalgar Square; spotted and shot in late August 2017

Should mention that Tura’s throne fishes seem to be contagious.

Have a couple of more shots: the first of a light stand down from Trafalgar Square near the Thames embankment and the second of a flower container in Hyde Park across the street from Lancaster Gate.

Dolphin-type grinning out of a concrete flower container spotted and shot in Hyde Park near Lancaster Gate in late August 2017

They don’t have Tura’s toothiness, true, but it’s hard not to argue that they were inspired by Calliope in the National Gallery a few blocks away one way or the other.

As for what else was outside the National Gallery that day in late August 2017, how about a Golden Golem and, yes, the Grim Reaper?

One of a number of ‘street performers’ spotted and shot outside the National Gallery on Trafalgar Square, London, in late August 2017

(Perhaps not the best fellow to be visiting given what had happened to the famous fellow represented atop the big tower in the centre of Trafalgar Square in 1805.

One of a number of ‘street performers’ spotted and shot outside the National Gallery on Trafalgar Square, London, in late August 2017

(Or what happened not all that far away thanks to an intentionally wayward lorry driven up onto a sidewalk on London Bridge a couple of months earlier in June.)

In theory if you can’t get them to move then you have to toss them a coin, minimum of a pound Sterling. Wasn’t a game I played.

Besides there were plenty of worthies outside the Nat and I wasn’t about to toss all of them a pound.

Had already donated a fiver to the gallery in order to keep it otherwise free.

A pair of not so toothy fish (dolphins?) spotted and shot on a light stand near the Thames embankment a few blocks away from Trafalgar Square in late August 2017

For everyone who came by the Phantacea Publications table at Van Expo last weekend and expressed disappointment that we weren’t taking debit or credit cards, here’s the link you wanted: http://www.phantacea.info/phorder1.htm#contents. The automated lynx to order encrypted PDFs are built into the table proper: http://www.phantacea.info/phorder1.htm#table. As per usual the email link will require verification that you’re human, but that doesn’t take more than a few seconds.

Unfortunately there’s no way to order anything with just a single click. However, there are other lynx at the bottom of every page that have that capacity. Plus, Phantacea Publications’ distribution system should work anywhere in the world. Just ask your local bookseller to call up the book by title and/or author. Won’t be able to order autographed copies anywhere else, though. Details of postage costs will come by return email within a day or two.

What season, you might ask? At which point I might answer, well, in “Decimation Damnation” it was called Zmas Day. Might also share this:

Serendipitously enough, they were speaking about shape-shifting on Tempo (CBC Radio 2) just as I was about to type … Plus this:

Want more? Happy to share this, too

Tricky way of demonstrating fact that pH-Webworld‘s been updated for Sharing Season 2017

]]>http://phantacea.com/blog/?feed=rss2&p=22120Even Hirst at his Excessive Worst is better than …http://phantacea.com/blog/?p=2177
http://phantacea.com/blog/?p=2177#respondTue, 14 Nov 2017 03:08:15 +0000http://phantacea.com/blog/?p=2177Continue reading →]]>Reviews were all but universally terrible but, being in Venice while the exhibit was running, at two locales simultaneously, proved too much for Jim McPherson, the creator/writer of the Phantacea Mythos, to resist in September 2017.

Have three posts that first appeared on pHantacea on pHacebook, plus a couple of bonus shots. Commentary mostly taken from Phantacea Publications Facebook Page.

Scroll down for reiteration of images and comments …

Shot in Venice, September 2017, the plaza is called the same as the gallery, Palazzo Grassi

Damien Hirst’s colossal conceit is somewhat unimaginatively called ‘Demon with a Bowl (Exhibition Enlargement). Henceforth shall be referred to as Colossus

<== To the left is a shot of the banner for “Treasures from the WRECK of the Unbelievable. Damien Hirst” exhibit running in September 2017. Spotted and shot by Jim McPherson outside the Palazzo Grassi in Venice Italy.

It’s the second venue for the show but the first visited. Exhibit ran from 09/04/2017-03/12/2017

==> According to the brochure that came with admission, the image to the right (which needs a good clicking to fully appreciate its sheer, laugh-out-loud immensity) is somewhat unimaginatively called ‘Demon with a Bowl (Exhibition Enlargement).

Colossus adjusted to bring out contours better, taken from the second level of the gallery inside the Palazzo Grassi

Sooth further said, enlargement is something of an understatement. For one thing, even in the narrative it’s just (?) an outlandish copy of a much more sensibly sized golem: “It seems … the figure served as a guardian to the home of an elite person.” In ancient Mesopotamia, also according to accompanying brochure.

<== To the left is a frontal view of the supposedly Mesopotamian Colossus as taken from the second level of the Palazzo Grassi. Some tinkering with the levels on Photoshop has brought out, for the better, the demon’s contours.

Back shot of Hirst’s Colossus taken from the third level of the gallery and looking downward

The squiggles and encrustations are artistic conceits perhaps left in to indicate the original lay “… submerged in the Indian Ocean for some two thousand years before the site was discovered in 2008.”

==> To the immediate right is a back shot of the colossus looking down, down, down from the 3rd level of the Palazzo Grassi. Once again the conceit of the artist, not to mention the demon’s forgers, is that the original was found underwater, hence the coral and other encrustations.

Sea Monster seen through the window on an upper floor of the Palazzo Grassi. It appears to be rising out of the Grand Canal

<== Looking through window on an upper floor of the Palazzo Grassi in September 2017 and what does one see but a sea monster rising out of Grand Canal. Note the Ca Rezzonico palazzo on the other side. It comes highly recommended for its massive gallery of Eighteenth Century Italian artwork.

Shot looking up at Hurst’s Colossus from the ground level

==> To the right and again looking up, way up, from the ground level is a shot put on Facebook just to see if its censors were watching.

Supposedly the Colossus was and is anatomically correct. Or at least as proportionately correct as a 60-foot bronze behemoth could be.

(Again according to the brochure, it’s a facsimile of the original, which wasn’t at the Palazzo. Might have been at the other venue, Punta della Dogana, across the Grand Canal a few stops south of the San Samuele vaporetto dock.)

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Evidently Mickey, Goofy and, yes, even a scene from Jungle Book (?) were hauled out of the depths after spending two thousand or so years submerged

<== Have to ask, if it sank nearly two thousand years ago: What’s Mickey doing on the Unbelievable? Time warp, perhaps? Could be Disney partially funded Hirst’s extravaganza and wanted some of their characters to join in the very expensive fun.

Which sounds like something only a cynical dullard would say. Sorry about that, Damien.

Supposedly an underwater shot of a unicorn’s skull and horn

==> As for the shot to the immediate right of his paragraph, is that really what’s become of the skull and horn of a unicorn after two thousand years?

In terms of the Phantacea Mythos, can’t be Catastrophe (Headless Ramazar, the Apocalyptic of Sudden Destruction, a head shot of whom shows up a cpuple of paragraphs down), from the comics and novels, notably “The War of the Apocalyptics“. Too underdressed.

==> Tempted to say the shot of a shot to the upper right represents Thalassa D’Angelo, unless it’s Thalassa Thanatos, D-Brig’s Sea Goddess, notably from the obverse cover of pH-3, artwork by Ian Bateson​ 1978.

Too bad there’s only a hint of a third eye on the sunken idol. Like the bubbles, though.

Andromeda’s chained to a rock screams while Jaws leaps out of ground intent upon eating her

Wasn’t the best shot taken so darkened the background and greyed up some of the sides in hopes of bringing out characters better.

==> Something of Sea Goddess’s skinniness in Hirst’s Andromeda, too. Except D-Brig’s Sea Goddess would just state-shift into her watery element and get away instead of wasting time screaming.

As for what she could then do to either Jaws or the Kraken should she decide to come back … well, best leave that to your imagination.

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Andomeda is (silently) screaming so hard she turned the whole oversized diorama blue.

Background darkened to bring out the three main characters of Andromeda, Jaws and the Kraken; the whole diorama really is blue for whatever reason

<== The elaborate diorama is not only huge it really is blue. As per shots later, and one put up last week, Andromeda really isn’t headless. She is chained, however, and does seem to have an extra hand in this shot.

==> Needs to do a Nihila and break loose pretty damn soon. Jaws and the Kraken look ravenous and could care less about social media.

Datong Harmonia, the Unity of Panharmonium, superimposed over Siqueiros’s New Democracy (Nueva Democracia) as photographed in Mexico City’s Bellas Artes Palazio in mid-200s

Different shot of Damien Hirst’s demonic head. Brochure says it was excavated in the Tigris Valley back in 1932

<== Although definitely demonic I’m not sure this huge head would even fit atop the headless Colossus let alone if it really belongs there.

The accompanying brochure says it was tentatively identified as Pazuzu, a googleable Mesopotamian demon, and that it was unearthed in 1932 in the Tigris Valley. (Pazuzu had something to do with the horror movie entitled “The Exorcist”, may have even been the possessive devil who drove the girl to such head-turning extremes.)

Dried out and scrubbed clean skull and horn might have belonged to a unicorn according to exhibit brochure

==> Also not sure if this really would pass for the skull and extended horn of a ravendeer in the Phantacea Mythos. Then again the exhibit’s claim that it belonged to an actual unicorn is arguably even more fanciful.

Another view of a dried out and scrubbed clean skull and horn might have belonged to a unicorn according to exhibit brochure

<== Another view of the unicorn’s skull and broken horn unearthed (unwatered?) near the sunken wreckage of the Unbelievable. Skull looks like something you’d rub and expect three wishes from the genie wafting out of it.

In pHanta-pHact she appears in all of the 19/5980 novels and mini-novels. She even does a cameo, in her multitude, near the end of “Hidden Headgames“. It’s in Dec-Dam, the opening entry in Phantacea Phase Two, that she shows the petulant side of her nature.

Still encrusted ‘Diver’, so-called, by Damien Hirst; scanned in from a postcard bought at ‘Unbelievable’ exhibit in Venice, 2017

<== Yehudi Cohen, D-Brig’s Untouchable Diver, is another long-serving character who reappears in Dec-Dam (after vanishing, then inexplicably, during “Helios on the Moon“). He has a much more significant role than Raven in Games.

According to the brochure, among the fourteen venomous serpents represented are the African rock python, horned viper and coral snake

Have to say, though, that Hirst’s Diver, so-called, looks more female than male. Still, it’d be remiss not include it in post re treasures of the ‘Unbelievable’.

==> As for Hirst’s Medusa, the accompanying brochure claims that “fourteen of the world’s most venomous snakes … crown the Gorgon’s petrified features.”

A Photoshop collage prepared by Jim McPherson, 2017, using graphics mostly taken from Web

]]>http://phantacea.com/blog/?feed=rss2&p=21770McPhersonal Mask Wall — Then and Nowhttp://phantacea.com/blog/?p=2151
http://phantacea.com/blog/?p=2151#respondThu, 09 Nov 2017 01:37:16 +0000http://phantacea.com/blog/?p=2151Continue reading →]]>Not sure I like the embed feature on FB for this sort of thing. Best scroll down and I’ll copy and paste the rest of the original posting(s) from pHantacea on pHacebook dated October 30 & 31, 2017.

Obviously both were posted to mark Halloween as well as the imminent anniversary of All Death Day on the Hidden Continent of Sedon’s Head (assuming it’s still around).

========

pHant Central’s Wall mask is a lot more crowded these day but this lot (taken in 2009) are still on it, though the big fellow only half in this shot has moved to the other side of speaker on adjacent wall above book shelf

Mexican Double Mouth wearing Panamanian Bird Cap (for pinheads)

Date for shot to paragraph left is Sept 30, 2009. The Harpo type is an original. The Toothy fellow to his right is from Panama whereas the big blue nose is a Punchinello Comedia del Arte mask purchased in 2008 during first visit to Venice, where he’s very popular. Has been for centuries.

Also from Sept 2009 series of snaps, Double-Mouth’s bird cap came from a heritage house on the outskirts of Panama City. Needless to say, him having two mouths there’s no point in talking out of both sides of either/or when he can do it with both mouths at the same time.

Not sure where the frond fan came from but a frond is Baaloch Hellblob, Sinistral Sloth’s power focus, even though he uses Viceroy Ibal’s Evil Eye in “Hidden Headgames“

The fellow in the rain hat came from Ecuador in 1998. Clearly didn’t fare very well in suitcase upon return

Mask Wall has filled out considerably since 2009. Shot taken in 2012 looks somewhat unfocused for some reason.

Main mask in 2009 shot was bought in Ecuador in the late 90s. Reckon he was originally a Maximon type, assuming Incas had a Maximon type. Clearly he didn’t fare well in suitcase on return flight. Always found it interesting that Inca is a word jumble for Cain, whom no one was allowed to kill if memory serves.

Above right: 2012 mask wall. The fellow at the very bottom is from Costa Rica. Violated $50.00 limit to buy him. Fortunately he was lacquered because Canada Customs took him out of bag to test for mites and insect larvae.

First shot found of pHant Central’s Mask Wall in Digital Library. It’s from 2005. Might be more in Photo Albums but didn’t feel like looking

They didn’t do that with coconut heads, two of which came from Puerto Vallarta whereas the little coco-head (coke-head) beside blue nose came from other side of Mexico in a different Puerto, Morales.

Date on photo to the left is Oct 5, 2005. The two masks wearing hats are originals bought in Zihuatanejo Mexico in mid 90s. The ape figure wears a hat these days whereas the goatish Furie figure with the long horns is from Guatemala.

Any wonder why Wilderwitch stays away from Jervis Murray when he’s in Dervish mode? He’s now hiding behind Double Mouth. A couple more like him are in the Fur Mask row here.

========

Here’s the earlier post on pHant Central’s Mask Wall, also embedded using Facebook coding. It’s dated 30 October 2017. As per 2011’s “Janna Fangfingers“, All-Death Day occurred on Maruta 1, 5494, the equivalent of our November 1, 1494.

On that date, thanks to the Unities of Chaos and Order — who, as we only found out (for sure) in “Helios on the Moon“, were doing Sedon’s bidding, hence its subtitle ‘Sedon’s Purge’ — there were more Dead Things Walking on the Inner Earth of Sedon’s Head than there were Living Beings Talking.

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pHant Central’s Mask Wall in 2017, taken shortly after return from second time in Venice, hence the two new masks

One of the four original masks, bought in Zihuatanejo, Mexico, in early to mid 1990s

To immediate left, pHant Central’s Mask Wall encroaching on book shelf in October 2017.

Note the gargoyle photo on third shelf from bottom and the solitary eyeball above it. Many of masks wear sunglasses and hats to protect themselves from sheer brightness of computer they look at all day.

The box atop the speaker contains the manuscript for “The Moloch Manoeuvres“, which Phantacea Publications doesn’t feel like publishing for some reason. (Might it have something to do with Jim McPherson not wanting to edit something that long, let alone chop anything sizable out of it?)

Mask bought in Playa del Carmen, Mexico, in late 90s or early 20-Noughts that’s suggestive of Count Molech near the end of “The Moloch Manoeuvres”

Mask to the upper right bought in Zihuatanejo Mexico, in mid-90s. Couldn’t resist buying because it so clearly resembled Mars Bellona, the Apocalyptic of War, from pH-3, as he first appeared in Phantacea Publications at least 15 years earlier. Mask was one of four that started the whole collection.

Mask of Maximon, who despite looking white is a modern day Mayan deity

Mask to the upper left looks like what becomes of Count Molech near the end of ‘The Moloch Manoeuvres’. And yes, there are two different spellings … Molech refers to a highly unconventional stage magician in Rome Italy in January 1938 whereas the Moloch refers to the Moloch Sedon, who doesn’t even appear in the book.

Another shot of pHant Central’s Mask Wall as it was in late October 2017

May do in a couple of the follow-up pH-Webworldserials, however; more here.

The mask to the upper right is Maximon, the modern day Mayan deity of Conspicuous Consumption as well as Decadent Delights. Probably got his broken nose (hence the bandage) in transit from Guatemala sometime in 90s.

Note the middle section of pHant Central’s Mask Wall in late October 2017. The three-faced golden mask in lower centre and the bronze, jawless mask to its right and up a row were picked up in Venice back in Sept 2017.

Finally, just in case you doubted it, here’s a shot of the obverse side of pH-3, artwork by Ian Bateson, 1978. It was a flip-floppy — a comic that contained two storylines: Helios on the Moon and, on the flip-side half, that of the Damnation Brigade as they appeared during the War of the Apocalyptics.

Advisement for Nov 5, 2017 Comicon. Note the 4th name in red. He’ll be there manning the Phantacea Publications table

Jim McPherson will be there manning the Phantacea Publications table next to Captain Cannabis in Artists Alley

To help mark the 40th Anniversary of the Phantacea Mythos in print, its creator/writer, Jim McPherson, will be manning the Phantacea Publications tables at the November 5th Vancouver Comicon and the long weekend Nov 10-12 Van Expo.

He’ll have with him copies of 1977’s Phantacea One at both cons. It features 32-pages of pre-Cerebus Dave Sim artwork, complete with a wraparound cover and an easily removed plastic bag. Cost for the complete packet is $25.00. Copies of pH-2, 3, & 4 will also be available for a cons special price of $5.00 each. Plastic bags optional.

Faerie Queen Titania and companions to the right of dancer and ass-headed Bottom

Sooth as always said, at least out here on pHantaBlog, Jim McPherson, the creator/writer of the Phantacea Mythos, henceforth referred to as ‘I’ or ‘me’, might agree with you as well. However, she is mentioned in “Hidden Headworld”, which might be out by the time you read this.

Talk about briefly, here’s the extent of it:

So, not Sedon: ordinary mortals, albeit ones capable of manifesting gargoyles (grotesques) off their eye-staves, daring to take on Death’s Angels and those who’d come up here with the Diver via All of Incain. Among them, much to his shock and queasy knees, were five members of what was left of his very own Damnation Brigade, including the wondrous Gloriel, Radiant Rider, arguably their most singly powerful member.

Why were they involved? Were they actually joining forces with Sed’s men? What no doubt possessive madness was making them willing to die in a futile effort to fight them off?

Then Blind Sundown and Raven’s Head split in two … dozens of times!

The date, BTW, was the 14th of Tantalar 5980, which is about as far into “Wilderwitch’s Babies” as Games goes.

Isolation shot from bottom left hand corner of Tit-Bottom (presumably) featuring some faerie children

Eggs were eminently edible. Baaloch Hellblob was only egg-shaped; was also Sinistral Sloth of Satanwyck. Then again the Highchair of Hell shouldn’t have been akin to a griddle either. It was hot; too hot for sitting. Demons were notoriously flammable. Lord Lazy had never moved so fast. Recovered, uneaten. Look up at Highchair.

“Now what?” he demanded of its occupant, a mass of darkness in a female shape.

“Ass-end of Hell?” said occupant wondered. “Does that make this its Hell-Mouth?”

Bottom? Ass-head? Guess I’ll leave it at that.

Full Cover Mock-up for “Hidden Headgames”; proper font and background images to be added prior to publication

Perseus using his shield as a mirror in order to avoid looking directly at the Medusa. Shades, once again, of “Feeling Theocidal” , though it didn’t happen exactly that way when he, a deviant, tangled with his devic half-dad, a Great God, at the end of Feel Theo. Looks like the Amateramirror, with the Susasword on the ground . — taken at the Tate Britain by Jim McPherson in late August 2017

Chrysaor Attis, from “Feeling Theocidal“, was known as the Universal Soldier, but he was also many of the heroes of mythology, including Perseus. At least he was according to the Phantacea Mythos. He called his ride ‘Peg‘. Not very imaginative of him but, hey, when you’re a product of imagination you can’t expect to have much of one yourself. — taken by Jim McPherson at the Tate Britain in late August 2017.

In pHantacea-pHact its deviant protagonist, Chrysaor Attis, who was born circa 2000 BCE on the Inner Earth of Sedon’s Head, was once Perseus himself.

He rode a pterippus by the name of Peg, not Pegasus. He wielded the Six GreatGodly Objects including a golden sword known as the Susasword and a shield-cum-mirror known as the Amateramirror.

Like their sister object, the Crimson Corona, which causes the Untouchable Diver no end of trouble in “Hidden Headgames”, they shone with the telltale glow of Brainrock when in use.

What isn’t as well known in terms of Greek Mythology is their connection not only to each other but to Medusa herself:

Chrysaor was the brother of the winged horse Pegasus and son of Poseidon and the Gorgon Medusa. When Medusa was decapitated by Perseus, both Chrysaor and Pegasus were born at the same time. Little is known about Chrysaor; he was considered a stout-hearted warrior, and his name means “he who bears a golden sword”.

Harryhausen’s Medusa, a model for his 1981 film ‘Clash of the Titans’. The model’s behind glass. The painting in background is John Martin’s “Great Day of his Wrath”. Phantacea’s Medusa (Mater Matare, from “Feeling Theocidal“, “The War of the Apocalyptics” and the comic books did not have a serpentine tail. More re pHant’s Medusas here: shot at Tate Britain by Jim McPherson in late August 2017.

Close up of one of Harryhausen’s Medusa models. Again it was behind glass, but still looks nasty.

Don’t recall if this was mentioned in Feel Theo but do recall that Attis’s half-parents were the time-tumbling Dual Entities (Heliosophos and Miracle Memory) whereas his devic half-parents were Thrygragos Varuna Mithras and his Ewe for Aries Fitna Marutia (also Kanin Marut, Kore-Discord).

{She grew up (down?) to become none other than Strife, a possessive ‘virus’ last seen in “Nuclear Dragons“, the second entry in the epic ‘Launch 1980‘ fantasy trilogy.}

Harryhausen’s version of Scylla. As per “Hidden Headgames”, Aortic Merthetis gave the future Fisherwoman that as a first name when she found her, a newborn, in the Belly of the Beast (Island Leviathan) in 5918 Year of the Dome. In terms of our time count that’s almost a hundred years ago now. The eye-stalks are called ommatophores. John Sundown ended up wearing a pair near the end of “Decimation Damnation“. They were a trap. Rather, they were intended to be a trap for him. More here re that.

Isn’t much of an assumption to suggest Attis was named by the Entities, who being from the (then) future knew their myths. Had even lived one, his Second, as Phoenician-born Cadmus, founder and long-serving king of Grecian Thebes.

(Heliosophos, the Male Entity, believed he was in his Seventh Lifetime around 2000 Year of the Dome, our 2000 BC. His time as Cadmus, also brother of Europa, hence the continent’s name, took place 500 years later, around 2500 YD, our 1500 BC. Time-tumblers do that sort of thing.)

Somehow doubt Ray Harryhausen would have known about the Phantacea Mythos when he did ‘Clash of the Titans‘ in 1981, though Phantacea One did come out in 1977. (As boldly stated on its front cover, the release of “Hidden Headgames” marks the {gulp!} 40th anniversary of the Phantacea Mythos in print.)

Still, with these shots, it’s hard to ignore the connection. All the more so when Pyrame Silverstar, another of the main devic characters in Feel Theo is about to make a big time return to the print canon with the release, later on this month, of said “Hidden Headgames”.

Model of a skeletal warrior prepared by Ray Harryhausen for his film, 1981’s Clash of the Titans. Note the Medusa head on its shield. It’s a skeletal gorgon. Taken by Jim McPherson at the Tate Britain in August 2017

Pyrame’s hardly the only familiar pHace to pHanta-pHans who’s back in Games. Sooth as always said, at least on pHantaBlog, virtually everyone who appears in Games has done so before.

Placards quoting Harryhausen re his sketches of Charybdis and Scylla

That includes the fabulous, ever-fishifying Fisherwoman, whose birth name was Scylla Nereid. As also per “Goddess Gambit” and towards the end of “Decimation Damnation“, unless you’re a fan of monsters she’s vastly better looking than Harryhausen’s Scylla.

Still, yet again, when you walk into a free show at the Tate Britain, in August 2017, barely a couple of months before Games is due to go on sale, you not only have to start shooting (photographs) you have to do a pHantaBlog on a few of them.

So have a few more to finish. Have to say, as a last word, the bronze looks more like his Charybdis than his Scylla.

Looks more like his sketch of Charybdis. Since Arisandesam, the Conqueror Worm, once Sinistral Gluttony of Satanwyck, has a brief mention in “Hidden Headgames” might use in future to represent him/her.

Note Harryhausen’s explanation as to why ‘Force of the Trojans’ was never made

Harryhausen’s sketch of Charybdis, made as part of a pitch for a movie tentatively entitled ‘Force of the Trojans’ that never got made

]]>http://phantacea.com/blog/?feed=rss2&p=21030DaVinci does Transhttp://phantacea.com/blog/?p=2099
http://phantacea.com/blog/?p=2099#respondWed, 11 Oct 2017 19:24:16 +0000http://phantacea.com/blog/?p=2099Continue reading →]]>Tell you what, if the individual sitting to Christ’s right is supposed to be John the Apostle and not Mary Magdalene, then Leonardo daVinci was painting a transsexual five hundred years ago.

Post inspired by sights seen in Milan, September 2017.

BTW the bottom two shots are supposed to be of a young Jesus. Neither was by daVinci but the copy of The Last Supper above them was. Too bad they wouldn’t allow photographs in the Ambrosiana Museum.

]]>http://phantacea.com/blog/?feed=rss2&p=20990Croatian Covers 4 Hidden Headgameshttp://phantacea.com/blog/?p=2092
http://phantacea.com/blog/?p=2092#respondTue, 12 Sep 2017 10:36:57 +0000http://phantacea.com/blog/?p=2092Continue reading →]]>So why’s the fact it’s raining in Dubrovnik, after ferocious thunder storms last night and more in forecast, make us happy Jim McPherson, the creator/writer of the Phantacea Mythos, carted his Mini-Mac with him while on a ‘not writing, traveling’ sabbatical?

Headgames back cover pieced together on a rainy day in Dubrovnik, Croatia

Because we get this for pHantaBlog. Too bad his mini-mac didn’t have the right font on it or all the links for background images. Means print version won’t be identical but it’ll be close.

Text probably won’t be changing. It’ll just fit together better:

The creator of the Phantacea Mythos presents three intertwined novellas leading up to and into “Wilderwitch’s Babies”

Set entirely on the Inner Earth of Sedon’s Head, ‘Hidden Headgames’ tells untold tales of a wide swath of characters who came to feature in “The Thrice-Cursed Godly Glories” and “Launch 1980” epic fantasies.

Who was behind Crystallion, Hell’s Horsemen and their Nuclear Dragons? How could the Dual Entities survive ‘Helios on the Moon’? What became of Cosmicar 6?

Vignettes, verisimilitudes and at least one vampire setting up and carrying on “Phantacea Phase Two”

Full Cover Mockup for “Hidden Headgames”; proper font and background images to be added prior to publication

Mock up done on Photoshop of potential front cover for “Hidden Headgames”

Black and white version of potential front cover for “Hidden Headgames”

Took awhile to get to it, took even longer to get a presentable version of same, but here goes. Comments welcome at bottom.

As for the images that went into the cover collage, once again the background is of the Borealis Brolly spotted online and shot in Finland by Tina Tormanen,

It paired up nicely with another photo of the Northern Lights, this one shot in Iceland by Tom Mackie in 2014. The former was taken from the Web whereas the latter was scanned in from the May 2015 issue of Fortean Times.

Photograph by Tom Mackie in Iceland, 2014, scanned in from the May 2015 issue of Fortean Times; Nihila artwork by Verne Andru, 2012; banner prepared by Jim McPherson, 2015

The main reference is to a sequence that first appeared at the end of 2012’s “Goddess Gambit“. It reappeared, and indeed carried on, in 2014’s “Helios on the Moon“. It’s back in “Hidden Headworld”, albeit this time (at least at first) from Fisherwoman’s perspective after Freespirit Nihila jettisoned her.

The female figure representing the fused duo was spotted online. It was taken at the 2015 Burning Man festival held in Death’s Valley toward the end of August every year. (At least I assume it’s still being held.) Not sure who took it, but assume the original was entitled “The Burning Woman”.

At the end of 2012’s “Goddess Gambit“, Freespirit Nihila took over Fisherwoman for awhile. This act of desperation came into play again during 2014’s “Helios on the Moon“. In “Hidden Headgames” we pick on their stories after they separate.

Hieronymus Bosch apparently visited Satanwyck (Sedon’s Temple) towards the end of the Headworld’s Fifty-Fifth Century. In terms of the Phantacea Mythos, this is his version of its Prime Sinistral or a surrogate sitting on the Highchair of Hell

Added a gradient to her and doubled the borealis brollies surrounding her for the text version of this collage. As for the Bosch, it’s from the Garden of Earthly Delights. It currently resides in Madrid’s Prado Museum, though it might have moved by the time you read this.

Apparently he visited Sedon’s Temple (Satanwyck, Hell on Earth) while he was on the Inner Earth in his mid-twenties.

T Rex shot in Alberta’s Drumheller Bad Lands. Might be an Albertasaurus. Representative of Saurlord Klizarod Rex of Sedon’s Head’s Lake Lands, part of his left eyebrow, area sometimes called Sedon’s Sweat Glands for fay-fairly-silly reason

Evidently a bird demon was occupying the Highchair of Hell at the time. Chronologically speaking, that probably makes her Sinistral Lust (Beguiling Belialma) or one of her lackeys.

She was certainly a playful shape-shifter in her time, some of which was highlighted during the course of ‘The Thrice-Cursed Godly Glories‘ epic trilogy. Was way beyond it, too.

As the saying often heard during the open-ended saga of “Wilderwitch’s Babies” goes, in September 1953 Lady Lust came to town (Vancouver Canada), leaving Mother Maternity behind.

As per all of the above, one therefore has to allow Bosco some degree of leeway in his depiction of her. Ordinarily Hell’s Belle was much more appealing to behold. Just ask Abe Chaos (Unholy Abaddon) and his father, the Great God Everyman (Thrygragos Lazareme), about that.

If you can find them, that is. Which, come to think of it, you probably wouldn’t want to do.

The lava lake filling the caldera of Sedon’s Peak is mostly made up of molten Brainrock. Anvil the Artificer uses it to make devic power foci like the Trigregos Talismans

Even though neither the Drumheller (Alberta) Tyrannosaurus (unless it’s an Albertasaurus) or the wide-mouth, highly venomous serpent have three eyes, they’re meant to represent, respectively, Saurlord Klizarod Rex (the devil-god worshipped by Saudi Tethys, the stomping Steg Sari from “Feeling Theocidal“) and none other than the Forgettable Fiend (Smiler-Daemonicus). Both appear in “Hidden Headgames”, the latter more so than the former.

The lava lake has to be the caldera of Sedon’s Peak, filled as it is with molten Brainrock. Anvil the Artificer (Tvasitar Smithmonger, the devic Prometheus) uses it to make devils their power foci, aka Tvasitar Talismans. Its fumes are also good for debraining demons.

Tibetan skull with three eyes probably meant to represent Yima, King Death. Used to represent King Harvest (Yama Nergal), the Mithradites’ Grim Reaper who features in all three parts of “Hidden Headgames”

(Good for devils, who take over their subtle matter bodies; bad for the demons. Mind you, being mostly all body and no soul, they aren’t very bright to start with.)

Last heard from in “Goddess Gambit” he returns in “Hidden Headgames”. So does his erstwhile girl friend, the Mirror Mentalist (Klannit Thanatos), who goes on to make such a nuisance of herself in “Decimation Damnation“.

The fancy Tibetan skull with the three eye-holes may well be a representation of Yima, an Asian God of Death. He’ll double, almost precisely, for Yama Nergal, the Mithradites’ Grim Reaper, also known as King Harvest.

In this regard, here’s a quote taken from “Acquiring Nihila”, the third part of “Hidden Headgames”:

“Unlike the unspeakable spooks, who looked uniformly two-eyed anthropomorphic, as if they were once human or humanoid bipedal, Death’s (hooded) skull had a third eye-hole. Presumably he presented as much considerately, just in case the Diver had any doubts about his race. If devils could be considered a race, that is, and not an entirely inhuman life form.”

Phantacea Publications logo utilizing a Sun-Moon wood carving spotted and shot by Jim McPherson, 2014; taken to represent the Dual Entities during happy times